TKO CEO Ari Emanuel & President Mark Shapiro's 2025 pay package & The Rock's WWE royalties revealed
(Courtesy : Getty)
TKO Group Holdings was formed through the merger of WWE & UFC.
A proxy statement filed with the SEC on Wednesday by TKO Group Holding has revealed the pay package of TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and TKO CCO & President Mark Shapiro. The filing also revealed Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s pay package.
TKO Group Holdings was formed in September 2023 through the merger of WWE and UFC. Controlled by Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc., TKO operates as a holding company for the two massive companies in terms of popularity and influence. Notably, Emanuel also serves on the Board of Endeavor Group.
Ari Emanuel’s pay package jumped to $67 million
The executive chair and CEO of TKO, Ari Emanuel, received $67.4 million in total compensation for 2025. This marked a significant jump from $18.1 million the previous year, largely driven by a major stock award.
According to the proxy filing with SEC, his pay package included a $3 million base salary, roughly $11.88 million in cash bonuses, stock awards worth $43.9 million, and $8.1 million in non-equity incentive compensation (also in cash). His additional compensation featured about $365,000 tied to personal use of a company-provided aircraft.
Emanuel’s 2025 total compensation is significantly higher than his 2024 TKO pay package of $18.1 million. In 2023, he earned $64.9 million from TKO, largely due to a $24 million cash bonus and stock awards worth just over $40 million.
Mark Shapiro’s pay package continued to increase in 2025
TKO’s President & COO, Mark Shapiro, 2025 compensation totalled to $42.64 million, up from $32 million in 2024. By comparison, his 2023 pay stood at $16 million, making the 2025 figure a continued upward trend.
As per the filing, his package included a $4 million base salary, roughly $12.5 million in cash bonuses, and stock awards worth $25.8 million. His additional compensation was about $297,565.
The Rock made $900,000 in royalties in 2025
The annual proxy report also revealed WWE superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s pay package for 2025. Johnson received a $30 million stock award and earned $900,000 in royalties under a decade-long merchandising and independent contractor deal he entered into when he joined TKO’s Board in January 2024.
In addition, he was paid $600,000 in reimbursements for “certain travel expenses associated with delivering services under the Johnson Services Agreement.”
The filing also noted that The Rock was not able to attend several meetings “due to prior business commitments.” The TKO’s Board met five times last year, and The Rock was the only TKO board member to not attend at least 75% of meetings in 2025.
“our Board met five times…. each of our incumbent directors attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board”…”with the exception of Mr. Johnson, who was unable to attend several board meetings due to prior business commitments.”
How much did Ari Emanuel earn in 2025?
Ari Emanuel, CEO of TKO, earned about $67.4 million in 2025, a sharp increase from 2024, largely due to stock awards.
What was Mark Shapiro’s salary in 2025?
TKO President & COO Mark Shapiro earned approximately $42.64 million in 2025, up from $32 million in 2024.
How much did The Rock earn from WWE royalties in 2025?
Johnson earned around $900,000 in WWE royalties in 2025. Additionally, he was awarded $30 million in stock as part of his agreement after joining TKO’s Board in January 2024.
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.